Marcus is a PhD candidate working with the NEMCAT group and the CSIRO Sensing and Sorting research program. His work focuses on the development of a portable Energy Dispersive X-ray Diffraction (EDXRD) analyser. EDXRD is a useful technique for real time analysis of mineralogy. Marcus’s work aims to apply EDXRD analysers to mineral processing applications. There is also scope for Marcus’s work to be used for Lunar exploration applications. Marcus has also worked on adding x-ray diffraction modelling capability to the popular particle physics modelling toolkit, Geant4. Another area of research Marcus is invested in is the simulation and validation of x-ray tube emission models.
In his research so far, Marcus has enjoyed working on theories and equations that govern how x-rays and electrons interact with matter, but at the same time applying them to real-world practical problems. It has been rewarding to work on a project that is very closely tied to industry. Researching at a desk some days and working in the lab on others is a great way to balance a PhD.
Outside of research, Marcus enjoys gardening and looking after bonsai trees. He is also a hobbyist knife maker and blacksmith.